Oath of Honor

“I’ll pretend I’ve forgotten, if you’d like.”

“Okay,” Evyn said, blowing out a breath. “Change of subject.”

“Fair enough.”

“So…what about…besides your mother and grandmother and

sisters. Anyone else…close?”

“My grandmother passed on at the grand old age of ninety-six,”

Wes said, sorting through the obscure question and deciding Evyn was

asking whether she was single or not. While trying to formulate an

answer, she was saved by her phone signaling a text message. At this

hour, it had to be important. “Excuse me.”

She fished her phone out of her pocket and checked the message.

“Someone keeps late hours. I’ve just been informed by the duty officer

at the House to report at zero eight hundred tomorrow.”

“WST.”

“I’m sorry?” Wes shoved her phone back in her pocket.

“Washburn Standard Time. Which means pretty much any time.”

“Well, I guess I’m going to get the last of my security clearance

taken care of.”

“Formality. You wouldn’t be here if there was any question.” Evyn

rose. “I guess that’s our signal to get moving.”

“I suppose,” Wes said, rising with a twinge of regret. She shrugged

into her topcoat while Evyn sorted through bills and left money for the

bill on the table. Out of habit, Wes reached over, lifted Evyn’s black

raincoat from the hook beside their booth, and held it open for her.

Evyn hesitated, then turned and slid her arms into the coat.

“Thanks,” Evyn said.

“You’re welcome.”

Evyn turned, her eyes finding Wes’s. It was way too late to pretend

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Oath Of hOnOr

they were just grabbing dinner, and with any other woman she wouldn’t

hesitate. But then Wes wasn’t like any other woman she’d ever met. She

should have kept her mouth shut, but words popped out. “Nightcap?”

Wes glanced left into the bar, mostly empty now, shortly before

closing. She was oddly not tired, even though she’d been on the move

for eighteen hours. She’d spent more time with Evyn than she had with

anyone in months and hadn’t even noticed the time passing. Maybe she

should take that as a sign. She shook her head. “I’d like to, but I’ve got

a really early morning tomorrow.”

Evyn smiled crookedly. Saved. She should take that as a sign.

“Yeah, me too.” She started walking toward the door. “Where are you

staying?”

Wes angled beside her, pushed the door open, and held it as Evyn

passed through. “The Marriott across town.”

“A hotel? You shouldn’t be staying in a hotel. O’Shaughnessy had

an apartment that came with the job.”

Wes smiled at Evyn’s indignation on her account. “I wasn’t

supposed to be here tonight at all, but Lucinda Washburn wanted me

on-site. So here I am.”

“Well, what she wants is law.”

“I gathered.” Wes fell into step as they walked toward the T-Bird

down the block. “I don’t usually get my orders at zero one hundred.”

Evyn laughed, opened the driver’s door, and slid in. Wes skirted

around the other side and settled in the passenger seat. “You’ll have to

get used to that.”

“The text orders, or the no-notice thing?” Wes clipped her seat belt

and stretched her legs out under the dash.

Evyn started the car and pulled out. “Both. When she wants

something done, it means now or five minutes ago.”

“Sounds like it’s pretty much twenty-four seven call. Feels like

being a resident again.”

“And here you thought you were getting this fancy title and a

cushy job,” Evyn teased.

Wes laughed. “I was hoping for a big corner office and a lot of

fanfare.”

“I’ll just bet.” Evyn glanced at her. “What were you really

expecting?”

“Truthfully? I don’t have a clue. Until a day and a half ago, I

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thought my next posting would be another academic position. All I

know about this one is that I’m going to get to see the world, just like

the recruiters always promised me.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Evyn snorted. “It’s a campaign year,

remember? You’re going to see so many cornfields and listen to so

many boring speeches you’re going to wish you were anywhere else

doing anything else.”

“Thanks for the inspirational speech. I can’t wait.”

“Sorry. I’ve been on the campaign trail in an election year. Prepare

to be perpetually tired, poorly fed, and probably verbally abused.”

“Got it. I imagine it’s pretty tense for you.”

“No more so than usual,” Evyn said flatly.

“Right.” Wes was getting used to the way Evyn deflected anything

personal. Obviously, the Secret Service never showed weakness. Or

maybe that was just Evyn. Wes wondered just how much that shield of

invulnerability cost her and if she ever let down her defenses.

Evyn slowed at an intersection, turned right, and looked over at

Wes. “It’s tough, but exhilarating too, you know? Being right there.

Being part of something big.”

“I think I understand. I’m used to being behind the scenes.

Observing.”

“That’s all about to change, Captain.”

Wes stared at Evyn’s profile, aglow in the moonlight. “I think it

already has.”

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Oath Of hOnOr

chapter seven

Here you go,” Evyn said, lifting Wes’s overnight bag out of